Rapaport Group Chairman Martin Rapaport posted the following message for RapNet members on Diamonds Net:

"On August 11th 2010, the Kimberley Process (KP) certified approximately 900,000 carats of rough diamonds from Marange, Zimbabwe. While the trading of these diamonds may be legal in certain jurisdictions it is illegal for US, European Union (EU) or UK citizens or entities to knowingly trade these diamonds due to the fact that the companies owning or selling the diamonds are sanctioned by these governments."

The Kimberley Process, he continued, "does not have a mandate to deny its certification for diamonds involved in human rights violations and therefore there is no assurance that diamonds with KP certification are free of human rights violations.

"Based on the above legal and moral considerations RapNet will continue to forbid the trading of any diamonds sourced from Marange, Zimbabwe on our network. RapNet members that knowingly offer Marange diamonds for sale on RapNet will be expelled from RapNet and their names will be publicly communicated.

"We strongly urge members to contact their suppliers and obtain written assurances that they are not being supplied Marange diamonds. US, UK and EU members may have a legal obligation to do so and should consult their legal advisors," said the statement.

The posting noted that any RapNet members who wish to cancel their subscription over the trade restriction, can do so within 30 days.

"RapNet and the Rapaport Group are fully committed to maintaining honest ethical standards and will not tolerate the use of our trading networks for the distribution of diamonds involved in human rights violations," concluded the statement. "If any member has information about such abuses they are encouraged to contact RapNet’s legal counsel."